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Shawn Thornton confirms hearing with NHL Department of Player Safety (Updated)

Pittsburgh Penguins v Boston Bruins

of the Boston Bruins of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the game at TD Garden on December 7, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Jared Wickerham

Shawn Thornton found out quickly that he’ll have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety for an ugly incident Saturday night.

He relayed information of his scheduled hearing to reporters following a 3-2 Bruins come-from-behind win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It appears Thornton is facing a lengthy suspension after he pulled Penguins’ defenseman Brooks Orpik to the ice and punched him multiple times, resulting in Orpik being taken off the ice on a stretcher.

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced via Twitter that Thornton will have an in-person hearing, which means his suspension can exceed five games. A date and time for that hearing has not been announced.

“I made a mistake. I can’t say I’m sorry enough times. That’s all I can say right now,” Thornton said afterward, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com.

“It was definitely awful. It’s not what you want to see. Its not what anybody wants to see. Ive felt sick all (game).”

Thornton was assessed a match penalty for the incident, which occurred during a scrum in the Pittsburgh zone.

The Penguins announced via Twitter that Orpik was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital and was “alert and conscious.”

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